


Layers Upon Lahars

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2019-05-30 18:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15102431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A Volcano eruptions shakes up more than just the North West.





	Layers Upon Lahars

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

EPISODE 8.5: Written by Mdrgrl1

LAYERS UPON LAHARS

TEASER

INT. WHITE HOUSE RESIDENCE DINING ROOM

"Looks like you were right."

Josh swallowed his last bite of pecan tart and looked up. "I'm sorry?"

The President stood tall and took a step into the room. "I just received word from Lyle Edmonds at the USGS: Mount St. Helens erupted at 6:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time."

Josh's mouth went dry. He'd warned the President about the imminent explosion several times throughout the day. He had a difficult time keeping his expression neutral, but this was no time for I-told-you-so.

"We need to start with the facts," he said instead.

Santos nodded. "I'll call Lyle back when I get to the Oval. In the meantime, I want Gloria Vincent on the phone. We need FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and about ten guys from the USGS talking to us within the hour."

"I'll get the governors of Washington, Oregon and Idaho as soon as possible." Josh stood and wiped his brow. "We should probably get Watkins to make an appearance."

"What about Forest Services and the FAA?" The President looked uneasy as he began walking toward the door.

Josh was right behind him. "I'll call them after I get a hold of the guys at the CVO."

Santos stopped. "The CVO?"

"Cascades Volcano Observatory," Josh replied, clenching his jaw.

"That's where Hubert Kaplan worked for ten years."

The President lowered his head for a moment, then quickly lifted it and looked Josh in the eye. "Get him back here. I want to know how in the hell he knew what the other experts didn't."

The First Lady and Donna were all but forgotten in the dining room until Donna stood. "Josh?"

He put his hand on the door jamb and looked back.

"Sam," Donna said.

Josh's face dropped, and he swallowed hard. "Sam."

CUT TO:

INT. TAXI, WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON

The taxi driver laid on his horn for half a minute. "These people have no clue how to drive! Look at this one," he yelled in a thick Middle Eastern accent. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Use your signal, crazy lady!" he bellowed out the window.

"How ironic," Ainsley whispered. "I thought cabbies were supposed to be the terrible drivers." She adjusted her seatbelt and clutched the Coach bag in her lap.

"Are you saying this guy is good? I think I might have whiplash." Sam rubbed his neck.

Ignoring his discomfort, she proceeded. "Did you know that nearly 60 percent of American drivers don't use their turn signals when changing lanes?"

"I did not know that." Sam loosened his tie.

"And do you know why the majority of them don't use their signals?" Ainsley asked, settling back into the ripped leather seat.

He turned his attention back to his travel companion and smirked. "No, but I'm sure you're going to educate me."

"It is because they are lazy," she said matter-of-factly.

Sam creased his eyebrows. "People are too lazy to lift a small lever with their index finger?"

"Yes, they are." She smiled. "And do you know..."

 

Ainsley was interrupted mid-sentence by a strong jolt. She released her purse and grabbed Sam's leg. He tried to appear calm, but the knuckles on his left hand were turning white from holding the door handle so tightly.

"Was that what I think it was?" Sam asked the taxi driver when the tremor subsided.

"That was a big one," the cabbie replied, shaking his head. "Then again, we've had rumblings for a couple of months now." He turned the radio louder, and Bob Marley belted out a tune about one love.

"Are you suggesting that we just experienced a seismic event?" Ainsley released her death-grip on Sam's thigh.

"An earthquake, yes."

"Are you sure we didn't get into an accident?" She craned her neck to look at the stopped traffic behind them. "Because it felt like we were struck by a large vehicle."

"I'm from Southern California, Ainsley." Sam grinned as best he could. "I know what an earthquake feels like."

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE RESIDENCE

Helen Santos stood and moved to where Donna was still seated. The younger woman looked paler than usual.

"You don't look so good." Helen bent to her eye level. "Is something wrong with Sam?"

"He's in Walla Walla," Donna replied, swallowing hard. "He and Ainsley Hayes were sent to the Northwest to represent the White House on some kind of lawsuit."

"And you're worried about him," Helen stated rather than asked.

Donna nodded and fiddled with the spoon next to her coffee cup.

"I was never really good at geography," Helen's maternal instincts kicked in, and she began rubbing the back of Donna's hand. "but I'm pretty sure Mount St. Helens is far enough away from Walla Walla for us not to be too concerned."

"You're right." Donna smiled and squeezed the First Lady's hand. "I know you're right, but it's Sam, you know?"

Helen nodded. "I know."

"If it's alright with you, I'd really like to be down there right now." Donna stood. "At least until we hear from him."

"Of course it's ok with me." Helen smiled.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Sure thing," she said. "And Donna? He's going to be fine."

CUT TO:

INT. PRESS SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Whistling a Billy Joel tune, Lester shoved two folders into his briefcase.

"Are you sure you're not white?" Lou asked from her position on his sofa.

"Just because I'm black doesn't mean I listen to rap music all the time." He zipped the briefcase.

"I'm white and I can't stand Billy Joel!" Lou shouted in a playful voice.

"You have zero appreciation for American singers and songwriters." Lester shot back.

"That's not true." Lou sat up. "I like Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Jon Bon Jovi."

"One of these things is not like the other," Lester hummed the tune from Sesame Street.

"You're just full of song tonight, aren't you?" She grinned.

"It's the weekend, baby!"

As Lou was about to chastise him for calling her 'baby,' the picture on the TV behind him caught her eye. "Lester?"

Noticing her focus, he turned around and stared at the image. "What the hell?" He turned the volume up.

"This just in," the newscaster said. "At approximately 6:50 pm, Mount St. Helens erupted into a fit of steam, ash and lava. We don't have any details at the moment, but this is a live video feed from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Again, breaking news, folks: Mount St. Helens has come to life."

"This is not good."

"Not good at all," Lou commented, still staring at the image on TV. "Have you heard any warnings about volcanic activity?"

Lester shook his head.

"I know Josh had a meeting today with a scientist." Lou's mind went into overdrive. "Holy crap! Did Josh know about this possibility and not tell anyone?"

"Now you're jumping to conclusions."

"The hell I am." She stormed out of her press secretary's office and headed down the hallway at a faster pace than usual.

CUT TO:

INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Sam and Ainsley rushed into the hotel to find a group of people gathered around a flat panel television mounted high on the wall. The image before them was almost surreal. Black smoke was spewing from a volcano, and the sides of the mountain were crumbling.

"I know you and your husband have spent your summers near Spirit Lake, Kim," a reporter said from the Channel 5 news studio. "Any word on damage or life loss in that area?"

"It's too early to tell, Henry," the female reporter said from her post somewhere in a dense forest. "The death toll could be in the hundreds if not thousands. With no warning and no mandatory evacuation, things could get very ugly, very fast."

Sam cringed. "Tell me that's in Asia."

SMASH CUT TO MAIN TITLES

ACT ONE

INT. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF

By the time Josh made it back to his office, Lou was waiting for him outside the door.

"Did you know about this?"

"Where's Margaret?" Josh scooted past her, ignoring her question.

Lou followed him into the office. "Did you know that Mount St. Helens might blow?"

"It's an active volcano, Lou!" He spun around to face her. "Everyone knows it could blow."

"Don't mess around with me on this, Josh." She put her hands on her hips. "You met with a scientist today."

"I met with a scientist last week, too!" he yelled. "You want a play-by-play of my weekly schedule? Because I could arrange something with Margaret."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Lou said. "This has PR disaster written all over it."

"No, it doesn't," Josh stated with a confidence he didn't feel. "We need to figure out the best way to help people and get accurate information out to the public."

"And you need to be straight with me, the Communications Director!" She pointed a finger at her chest.

He let out a long breath. "We're going to concentrate on saving lives right now, Lou."

She bit her lip and lowered her head. "Fine. But we're coming back to this, Joshua. I'm not going to be blindsided by the press."

He threw his suit jacket over the back of his chair, then turned on the TV. He knew he should tell Lou about his meeting with Kaplan, but now wasn't the time.

The picture of Mount St. Helens spewing steam and ash made him blanch. He turned the volume louder.

"We have word now that a 5.3 earthquake precipitated the eruption," the reporter said. "It appears to have been a vertical blast, which means that it's straight in the heart of the volcano."

He picked up the phone to call Sam.

"The plume of ash and steam that you see on your screen has apparently reached 12 miles above sea level," the reporter continued. "The National Weather Service reports that the ash is moving northeast at about 60 miles per hour."

"See what you can get from the local stations." Josh got a busy signal and hung up. "Where's Lester?"

"In his office, seeing what he can get from the local stations," Lou wisecracked.

"Right." He began rifling through a stack of papers.

Lou turned to walk out. "We're not done with this, Josh."

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "I need a goddamn deputy! Where the hell is Bram?"

CUT TO:

INT. RESTAURANT, STIR

Music and laughter filled the air as Bram motioned for the bartender with a raised hand.

"I think I'll try a different one this time." His date scrolled down the list of cocktails. "Let's go with the blue sting."

Bram chuckled. "That's an interesting name." 

"I love fruity drinks." She smiled and closed the menu.

"Have as many as you want." He looked up at the bartender. "I'll have another Dewar's on the rocks."

Bram had waited three weeks to ask Caitlin from the GAO out on a date, and it took another two to get this evening secured. He had to pull a number of strings to get on the guest list at Stir, the newest Yuppie restaurant to grace the streets of the nation's Capital.

"So tell me," he began. "Have you ever been to a restaurant on opening night?"

"Can't say that I have." She twirled a long curl with her finger.

"Are you enjoying it so far?" He put his arm on the back of Caitlin's chair.

"I am." She watched the 20- and 30-somethings, bopping around the room with colorful cocktails in hand. "I can't believe you got reservations. My roommate has been talking about this place for months. She's going to be incredibly jealous."

Bram smiled. That was one of the benefits of being in office: getting a ticket to the hottest places in town.

When their drinks arrived, he lifted his glass and proposed a toast. "To good times and making your roommate jealous."

Caitlin clinked her glass against his and laughed. "I'll drink to that!"

In the middle of his third sip, Bram felt his pager vibrating in his pocket. "Excuse me."

His date took a long gulp of her drink and continued twirling her hair.

"Shit," Bram said under his breath when he saw the message: 911 POTUS. "I can't believe this is happening. I have to go."

"To the bathroom?" Caitlin asked.

"No. I have to go to work. I'm really sorry." He stood and threw $30 on the bar.

"But it's 10 o'clock at night," Caitlin reasoned.

"I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow." He kissed her cheek, then disappeared out of the frosted glass door.

CUT TO:

INT. CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

Josh had finally found the piece of paper with Kaplan's number, but he couldn't get in touch with the man. He'd called Margaret and told her to come back to work, and he'd tried reaching both Sam and Ainsley several times with no success. The governor of Washington was excusably busy at the moment, so Josh settled for talking to her lieutenant for five minutes. The other governors were supposed to return his call within the hour.

Josh sat back in his chair with the phone pressed to his ear and sighed. He hoped there would only be a small number of casualties due to the eruption. He didn't want to think about how many deaths they could've prevented had the President listened to him earlier in the day.

A light tap on the door shook him from his reverie.

"Hi."

Josh turned his head at the sound of her familiar voice and smiled as best he could. "Hey."

Donna stepped into the office. "How's it going?"

"Not well," he hung up the phone. "I've spoken to one person in the last 30 minutes, and he couldn't give me any more than what I'm hearing on CNN." Josh checked his cell phone – no new messages. "I've paged Bram twice. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"No." She took a few steps closer. "Is there anything I can help you with until Margaret and Bram show up?"

Josh stared at the woman in front of him and wondered, not for the first time, how he'd ever survived those months without her. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Donna smiled. "Seriously."

He covered his heart with his hands as a quiet moment of understanding passed between them.

"I've been trying to get hold of Sam, but the lines must be down." He stood and combed a hand through his hair. "Try calling him every few minutes. In the meantime, see if you can get any of these guys on the phone." He handed her a sheet of paper.

"Sam's not in danger, right?" Donna asked. "I mean, he's far enough away from the volcano to not be affected."

"Knowing Sam, he probably thinks this is exciting." Josh grinned. Still unsatisfied with the gloomy expression on Donna's face, he stepped closer to her and lifted her chin. "Sam's fine, Donna. I promise."

She was able to manage a small smile as Josh trailed a finger across her jaw. She took a deep, steadying breath, then looked down at the sheet of paper in her left hand. "The Cascades Volcano Observatory, Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, US Forest Services, and the FAA," she read aloud. "Watkins is the Secretary of Agriculture?"

He nodded. "I think Ronna's got FEMA and the USGS covered, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to confirm with her."

"Got it," she said. "Anything else?"

Josh wanted to tell her abut the scientist's warning and Lou's accusations. It was on the tip of his tongue. However, he didn't want to drag Donna into what was sure to be a 'he-said, she-said' match. 

"That's all for now." He squeezed Donna's hand. "Thank you."

"Any time," she whispered.

CUT TO:

INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

The crowd around the TV in the hotel lobby grew as the guests heard about the eruption. Sam and Ainsley listened to the reporter talk about evacuation routes while the picture on the screen remained focused on Mount St. Helens. Lava was now flowing down the east side of the volcano.

"How far are we from Mount St. Helens?" Sam asked no one in particular.

"About 250 miles," a short, stout man said. "The wind is carrying the ash northeastward. People will probably start heading this way and into Oregon to get away from it."

"That's how most people died in '80, you know," an elderly woman said. "They inhaled the ash."

Ainsley swallowed hard.

The anxious crowd began asking a string of questions.

"Are we safe here?"

"Should we evacuate?"

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

A middle-aged woman stood in front of a tall ficus tree in the corner and waved her hands. "Can I get everyone's attention?"

The crowd of about 20 looked her way.

"I'm Sally Peyton, the hotel manager," she began. "Before things get out of hand, I want to assure you that you're safe here."

Ainsley stepped closer to Sam.

"The vertical blast and the wind direction indicate that the heavily affected areas will be northeast of Walla Walla. A fair amount of ash will fall on the city sometime this evening, but as long as you follow precautions, you'll be fine."

The crowd started chatting again.

"Please! Please listen," the manager pleaded. "You should know that the people who died of asphyxiation in the 1980 eruption did so by inhaling burning ash. By the time the ash reaches us, it will not be burning. That doesn't mean it's safe to inhale, but it's not going to kill you. You should stay inside the hotel and turn off the vents in your room. You should also conserve energy. If there is a power outage, the emergency generators will automatically turn on within 30 minutes. They will provide electricity for up to three days, but I hardly think we'll need supplemental power for that long. If you plan to check-out of the hotel today, please check the road closings before you depart. Chances are we're going to get a number of evacuees here within the hour, so if you're going to leave this evening, it would be helpful to let the front desk know as soon as possible."

While Sally Peyton spoke, the reporter on the news was going through a laundry list of safety tips.

"If you reside in the Pacific Northwest, you know the danger and uncertainty we live in every day because of the Cascade mountain range's many volcanoes. If you're in an area where ash is falling or will fall, you should first put on a filter mask to protect yourself from inhaling the ash and goggles to protect your eyes." The newscaster demonstrated. He looked like someone from those airplane safety videos. "If you get ash in your eyes, wash them out immediately and seek medical attention as soon as possible."

Sally's voice was much more soothing and her recommendations much less scary than the man on TV.

"What should we do?" Ainsley asked.

"I need to call the White House," Sam replied, yanking his phone off his belt. "Would you mind checking us in?"

"You want to stay here?" she asked loudly. 

"You heard the manager. We're safe." Sam hit redial after his first call failed. "Besides, where would we go?"

"I would think, Sam, that going home would be best under the circumstances." Ainsley twisted her hands together. "Maybe we should drive to Portland and catch a flight from there?"

"First of all, I'm sure the airports are closed by now. Second, in what vehicle do you suggest we travel?"

"Sam," she said with a worried voice. "I'm frightened."

"I would never put you in danger, Ainsley." He put his hand on her shoulder. "We're going to be fine."

FADE TO BLACK

ACT TWO

INT. OVAL OFFICE

"Sir, I have Gloria Vincent here to see you and Raymond Schreiber from the USGS on line two," Ronna said, entering the Oval.

"Ray's on line two? What about Lyle?" the President asked.

"Mr. Edmonds is on his way here. He should be pulling up any minute."

"Tell Ray I'll call him back after Lyle arrives," Santos said. "Send Gloria in."

Ronna ushered the director of FEMA inside the Oval.

"Not even three months in and we already have a disaster on our hands." Gloria approached the President with a tight smile.

"I wish we were meeting under different circumstances." Santos shook her hand. "Josh and Lou should be here any minute."

"They're saying it's not as bad as the 1980 eruption, but it's still pretty severe," Gloria said, taking a seat on the sofa.

The President sat in an armchair across from her. "It's still too early to tell."

"I understand that Lyle Edmonds is on his way."

Santos nodded. "And until he's here with the facts, I'm not going to speculate."

Josh and Lou entered the Oval office together, both looking a bit uncomfortable. "Mr. President. Dr. Vincent," they greeted.

"Have a seat." The President unbuttoned his suit jacket. "What can you tell us, Gloria?"

"My office has been in touch with the American Red Cross and the Washington State Emergency Management Division," she began. "Both organizations have already deployed an emergency team and are standing by until it's safe to enter the area."

"Have you coordinated with the bordering states?" Josh asked. "What about Canada?"

"We've contacted the Oregon Emergency Management Department of State Police and the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services."

"And Canada?" Josh repeated.

"Not yet."

"The wind is moving in a northeasterly direction. Don't you think you should contact disaster services in British Columbia?" Josh asked, fidgeting in his seat.

"I'll have my office make the call as soon as I'm finished here."

"Why don't you step outside and make that call now," Santos said, crossing his legs.

Josh turned toward the President, surprised that he'd sided with him.

Their glances weren't lost on Lou. She wondered if Santos might've known about the imminent eruption, too. If so, they were in this deeper than she originally thought.

After the FEMA director left the room, Santos paged Ronna. "Have we heard from the Army Corps of Engineers yet?"

"I think Donna was able to reach someone," Ronna replied.

"Donna Moss?" Santos asked.

"It's all hands on deck, sir." Josh raised his eyebrows. "She asked if she could help."

"Send her in," the President said into the speaker.

While the group waited for Gloria Vincent to finish her phone call and Donna to join them, Lou and Josh gave President Santos a rundown of what they'd accomplished in the last hour.

"According to the lieutenant governors of Washington and Oregon, the evacuation is underway and things are running smoothly," Josh said.

"The reports on local news stations are mostly focusing on safety tips and evacuation routes," Lou added. "The national news is reporting minute-by-minute volcanic activity."

"I finally got in touch with Dr. Kaplan. He'll be here within the hour."

Santos tightened his jaw. "I want a slew of scientists here before this thing is over."

Again, Lou picked up on the tension between Josh and the President. She was about to comment on it when Ronna peeked her head in the door.

"Excuse me. Donna's here."

The President stood. "Send her in."

"Good evening, sir." Donna closed the door and stepped into the room.

Josh's eyes lit up. While he was reminded of old times, he couldn't dismiss the confidence Donna had gained since she'd worked for him under this roof over a year ago.

"My wife was willing to let you come over to the dark side?"

Donna smiled. "Only for this evening, sir."

He sat down. "Ronna tells me you were able to get in touch with someone at the Army Corps?"

"Yes, sir." Donna shifted her weight. "Major General Dalton Higgins reported that their main concern is the lahars, or mudflows, that began as soon as the volcano erupted." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "In 1985, the Army Corps of Engineers built a one-and- a-half-mile diversionary canal at Spirit Lake in hopes of channeling the lahars away from the lake. They also lowered the water level of the Swift Reservoir two weeks ago as a precaution to minimize the possibility of flooding in the valley." Donna paused for a

breath. "Major General Higgins wasn't sure if the volume of the lahars is going to cause the reservoir to overflow, but he was fairly confident in its stability and craftsmanship."

Lou noticed the pride in Josh's eyes.

"Did he say anything about sediment-retention structures?" Santos asked.

Donna nodded. "He seemed to think that the structures would be able to withstand up to a six on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. Initial reports indicate that this blast was a three or four."

"What was the '80 eruption?" Lou asked.

"A five," Josh replied, his eyes still trained on Donna.

She gave him a small smile, then turned her attention back to the President. "Major General Higgins said he'd be happy to walk you through it, sir. He'll be available around the clock."

"Thank you, Donna," Santos said. "And I'll be sure to thank my wife for lending you to me. She better watch her back, or I'll steal you for good."

"Yes, sir." Donna smiled, then exited.

"She's good," the President said, looking at Josh.

"Tell me about it." He smirked.

CUT TO:

INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

"Good evening, sir. My colleague and I would like to check-in," Ainsley informed the front desk clerk.

"Last name?"

"Hayes. Ainsley Hayes." She motioned to Sam, who was still trying to call The White House. "And this is Sam Seaborn."

"I see you're with us for two nights?"

"That is correct."

The clerk's eyes darted back and forth between Ainsley and Sam. "Are you together?"

Ainsley gulped. "How do you mean?"

Sam's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "We're not a couple, if that's what you're asking."

"We are absolutely not a couple," she replied, slicing her hands through the air. "And how dare you assume that just because we are a man and a woman, traveling together that –"

The man held up his hand. "I didn't mean to suggest...I was simply wondering if you two knew each other well enough to share a room?"

Sam dropped his cell phone, and Ainsley's face turned pale.

She was the first to recover. "We are two professional..."

"And dedicated," Sam added.

"...government employees who maintain a perfectly platonic relationship," Ainsley finished.

"I'm sorry for the confusion." Sally Peyton appeared next to the young clerk. "What Ruben is trying to ask is if you'd be willing to share a room during your stay, because we're expecting an influx of evacuees within the hour."

Sam bent down to retrieve his phone. And the battery that had fallen out.

"We're going to need a moment to discuss the situation," Ainsley replied. She pulled Sam to the side, preparing to make a case for sharing a room.

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE HOUSE MAIN LOBBY

Bram arrived at work 50 minutes after he'd received the page. It took him 20 minutes to get a cab and another 30 to get back to The White House.

He attempted to walk through the security check point, but a linebacker-sized guard stopped him. "Where's your pass, sir?"

Bram looked around his neck, then searched his pockets. "Damn it. I must've left it on my dresser when I went home to change after work."

"You'll need to sign in with a visitor's pass, Mr. Howard," the guard said.

"Oh, come on!" Bram yelled. "You even know my name. It's not like I'm some derelict off the street."

"I just follow the rules." The guard presented Bram with the sign-in book.

Bram signed his name on the dotted line. "I won't forget this, Tyrone."

"Neither will I," he replied with a chuckle. "I haven't forgotten the first time either."

"It was my third day here. Give me a break."

"I suggest you get a duplicate pass or maybe have one tattooed on your chest." Tyrone handed him a visitor's pass. "Have a good night, Mr. Howard."

Bram shook his head and proceeded through the entryway. "Thank you."

CUT TO:

INT. WEST WING CORRIDOR

As Josh strode down the long corridor, he heard footsteps fast approaching behind him.

"Josh!"

He whipped around. "Where in the hell have you been?"

"I was at dinner when I got your page." Bram let out a ragged breath. "I got here as fast as I could."

"An hour was as fast as you could?" Josh raised his eyebrows. "Do I smell alcohol on your breath?"

"I had a couple of drinks at the bar." He gulped. "I was off duty, Josh. It's not like I intended to come back!"

Josh put his hands on his hips. "Are you drunk?"

"Not even close," Bram shot back.

Josh took a step closer. "When you get paged by me or anyone else in this building, you get here immediately. If you don't have a car or a cab is taking too long or the Metro has stopped running, you call the White House to check in."

Bram lowered his head.

"This isn't the campaign, and you aren't working for a Congressman anymore. You serve the President of the United States. Sam's stuck in the middle of this mess, and in his absence, I need you to step up, Bram!"

"I'm sorry. I should've called." He wiped his forehead.

Josh started walking again, and Bram was hot on his heels.

"I heard about the eruption on the radio in the cab. How bad is it?" he asked.

"I'll know more after my next meeting." Josh kept walking and looked at his watch. "In the meantime, have Lester brief you, then check in with Donna. She's been doing your job for the past hour."

Bram stopped in his office doorway. "I'm sorry."

Josh looked back at the younger man, clenched his jaw, then kept walking.

As he approached Sam's office, he noticed a light shining through the open door. He stopped just outside and saw Donna on the phone.

"And this all happened within 45 minutes?" she asked.

"Right," she responded, taking copious notes. "All airports in Washington, northern Oregon, and British Columbia. Got it. When do you anticipate further closings?"

Josh leaned against the doorframe and watched her. She was as efficient as ever, he thought. It was times like these when he truly missed working with her.

"Of course," she said into the phone. When she looked up, she saw Josh and smiled. "I will. Thank you."

She hung up. "How long have you been standing there?"

Josh pushed his shoulder against door jamb and stood upright. "Long enough to see you haven't lost your touch."

"Did you think I had?" She grinned.

"Never." He approached his old desk and gestured to the phone. "The FAA?"

"Yeah." Donna looked at her scribbled notes. "Most of the airports in the Pacific Northwest are already shut down, and they expect flight delays in Idaho as the ash moves eastward."

"A lot of people flying into Boise these days?" Josh smirked.

"Josh." She slapped him lightly on the arm. "They'll fax a report to your attention in a few minutes, and then keep you updated via e-mail every hour."

"Ok."

"I thought you had a meeting in the Oval?" Donna asked.

"I'm headed there now." He perched on the corner of the desk. "Bram finally showed up."

"Finally?"

He nodded. "He should be checking in with you any minute."

She put her hand on Josh's thigh. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." Despite being with Donna for nearly five months, he still got goosebumps every time she touched him. "Still no word from Sam or Ainsley?"

"No." Donna absentmindedly rubbed his leg with her thumb. "But I did a little research and found that Walla Walla is 257 miles away from Mount St. Helens, so they should be ok."

"Told you so." Josh smirked.

If she kept rubbing him like that, he would have to walk into the Oval Office with an embarrassing erection. He picked her hand up and held it against his chest. "After you meet with Bram, why don't you head home?"

"I don't mind staying," she replied. "I like feeling useful."

"You are very useful." He bent down and kissed her. "And valuable."

As she deepened the kiss, Donna's hand roamed up Josh's chest and neck and finally settled on his cheek.

Bram cleared his throat, interrupting them. "Excuse me."

They broke the kiss and looked at the young deputy.

"I have to go," Josh whispered. He kissed Donna's nose and ran his hand down the back of her head.

When he passed Bram, he didn't say a word.

CUT TO:

INT. OVAL OFFICE

Lyle Edmonds and Hubert Kaplan arrived at The White House at the same time. The discomfort between the two was palpable.

The men shook hands with everyone in the room before taking their seats on opposite sides of the same sofa. Gloria Vincent sat between them.

"Thanks for coming," Santos said.

"Mr. President, a group of our top geoscientists, hydrologists, and volcanologists are standing by in our Vancouver, Washington, office if you'd like to do a conference call," Lyle said.

"That would be helpful," Santos replied. "I'll have Ronna put the call through after the six of us hash some things out. Who wants to start?"

"I'm happy to give the account from the USGS standpoint," Lyle responded.

Josh noticed that Kaplan gave Lyle Edmonds a nasty look. He could tell that the men were gearing up for a battle. He didn't know whether he should sit back and watch or add fuel to the fire. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and tapped his heel on the ground.

Lou saw Josh's reaction. She made it a point to observe him throughout the meeting.

"About two months ago we created an emergency coordination center, or an ECC, at the US Forest Services facility in Vancouver, Washington. It's staffed 24 hours a day with scientists and administrators from the USGS, USFS, and emergency management agencies," Lyle said.

"We've had a team of ten FEMA employees there since the ECC was established in early February," Gloria added.

Santos nodded.

"Our guys at the ECC report on a daily basis to my deputy, Mason Blanchard."

"Where is Mason?" Josh asked, looking around the room.

Lyle cleared his throat. "Back at the office, continuing to communicate with the ECC and other regional USGS offices."

"Right," Josh responded. He was getting a sinking feeling about every step in the USGS' communication process.

"The ECC is in touch with the Cascades Volcano Observatory, the CVO, at least twice a day. The CVO, which is run by my agency, maintains an extensive volcano monitoring system in conjunction with the University of Washington's geophysics program. They file hourly reports, which are then passed on to the ECC. If the scientists at the ECC think a report deserves further attention, they fax it to my staff in DC," Lyle continued.

"How many reports has your office received since the establishment of this ECC?" Santos asked.

Lyle looked in the folder on his lap. "Only two, sir."

"And when were they given to your deputy?"

"The first one was given to him on February 21 and the second on March 11."

"That was four days ago," Josh observed. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees.

Santos regarded Josh, then turned his attention back to the director. "Did your deputy share the reports with you upon receiving them?"

"No," Lyle looked away. "I trust him to handle the communication between the ECC and my office."

"You're blaming your deputy?" Josh raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not blaming anyone, Mr. Lyman," Lyle responded. "I'm stating the facts. Besides, I am not a trained geoscientist or volcanologist."

"Is your deputy?" Josh huffed.

Lou got the distinct impression that he did not like Lyle Edmonds. If it wasn't the way he talked to the head of the USGS, it was his demeanor while doing so. Josh was at the edge of his seat and looked like he was ready to pounce.

The President tried to ignore Josh's behavior. "Who did Mason communicate with in order to determine the severity of volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens?"

"That would be me," Dr. Kaplan said, raising his hand.

A faint smile formed on Josh's face. Santos clenched his jaw.

"Yes, and we sent Hubert to meet with Josh this morning to warn you of an imminent eruption," Lyle replied.

"Actually, you didn't send me," Kaplan said. "In fact, you did everything you could to prevent me from coming."

Josh glanced at the President who kept his eyes focused on the scientist.

And there it was, Lou thought with a wry smile. Josh wasn't the one who ignored the scientist's warnings. It was the President. If she thought they were in deep water before, they were sinking into unknown depths now.

"Well, we have a team of scientists who interpret the CVO reports to determine how severe the activity is. Once they've read and researched the report, they prepare recommendations for me."

Josh ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you want Dr. Kaplan to come to the White House, Mr. Edmonds?"

"Because the March 11 report had not gone through the proper channels yet," he replied in a raised voice. "I didn't want to alarm anyone, especially the President of the United States, until I had all of the facts."

"The facts were easy to interpret," the scientist commented. "There were at least two geophysicists and one other volcanologist in our office who knew that the eruption was imminent."

"Then why didn't they inform me of that?" Lyle asked in a huff.

"They tried!" Hubert said. "But you told them to go through Mason before coming to you."

"That's preposterous!" Lyle responded.

"Now is not the time for the blame game, gentlemen," Santos interrupted. "You can sort that out later. Right now, I want to hear about what's going on at Mount St. Helens and what we can do to help save lives."

Josh shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. The President was right: they needed to focus on the volcanic eruption rather than the line of communication. But after this thing was over, he'd have to have a long talk with his boss.

CUT TO:

INT. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

While Josh, Lou and the President met in the Oval Office, Otto and Lester worked on remarks for a morning briefing. They'd asked Donna if she wanted to join them, and she jumped at the chance.

It wasn't that she didn't like working for the First Lady. In fact, she loved it. But she missed anticipating questions from the press and creating statements to answer them. She worked closely with Annabeth on a daily basis, but this was something entirely different, and, she admitted, a lot more exciting.

"What do you think of leading with the 1980 eruption and comparing the two?" Otto asked around a Dorito.

"No good." Donna shook her head. "I think it's fine if you compare the two eruptions, but that should come later."

"We should start by concentrating on what happened tonight," Lester added, tapping a pen against his legal pad.

"Right," Otto replied. "How about this: 'At 6:50 pm Pacific Standard Time, Mount St. Helens erupted due to a 5.3 seismic event'?"

"How long did it take you to come up with such poetry?" Lester chided.

"Hey, I'm working on virtually no sleep and an empty stomach." He shoved another Dorito into his mouth.

Lester shrugged. "It's not my fault you got here after the pizza was gone."

"Guys, we need to focus," Donna said, stacking her note cards against the table.

A light tap on the door startled them.

"Ms. Moss?" Tyrone, the night guard at the west entrance, opened the door.

"Yes?" Donna looked worried.

"There's a woman here to see you. A Lauren Harman. She said you'd want to know she's here and that she doesn't have your cell phone number," he said.

Donna stood. "Thank you, Tyrone."

Otto and Lester looked confused.

"Sam's fiancée," she said. "I'll be back."

Donna followed Tyrone down the hall, and as soon as she got into the main lobby, Lauren breathed a sigh of relief.

"Donna, I'm so glad to see you. I'm worried sick about Sam," she said in a shaky voice. "Have you heard from him?

As soon as Donna stepped through the metal detector, Lauren threw her arms around her.

"Hi, Lauren," she replied, hugging Sam's fiancée despite a moment of awkwardness. "I haven't heard from him yet, but we've been trying non-stop since the eruption."

Lauren let out a long sigh. "I tried calling the hotel and his cell. Why can't we get in touch with him?"

Donna pulled back and rubbed her arm. "I'm sure a million people in the Northwest are trying to make phone calls right now. It'll just take some time."

"Do you think he's ok?" Lauren bit her lower lip.

"Yes, I do." Donna reassured her. "He's 260 miles away from the volcano. The most he'll get is some ash. In fact, I saw a report on CNN, indicating that Walla Walla was one of the cities evacuees were fleeing to."

"That's comforting...sort of." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry for coming here, but I –"

Donna held up her hand. "You don't need to apologize. I know how worried you must be. I know how worried *I* would be."

Sam's fiancée nodded. "I called your office and left several messages. I don't have yours or Josh's cell numbers."

"Well, let's change that right now." Donna smiled. She wrote down their cell numbers and their home phone number and handed it to Lauren. "Do you want to stay here for a while?"

"No. I should be at home in case he tries to call. I haven't switched my number yet, and sometimes my cell acts up in DC." Lauren sniffed.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, but thank you." After a long pause, she spoke again. "I know he's with Ainsley. That's nothing I should, you know, worry about, right? I mean...Oh, never mind. I'm just nervous, and the crazies are talking."

Donna was relieved that Lauren didn't push the subject. She had no idea what Sam had told his fiancée about his relationship with Ainsley.

"We've tried contacting her as well," Donna replied, avoiding even mentioning Ainsley's name.

After a brief moment of silence, she tried adding a little humor into the conversation. "Josh said that Sam would probably find all of this exciting."

"He probably does," Lauren said with a slight chuckle. "Donna, if you hear from him, promise you'll call me?"

She looked Lauren in the eye. "I promise."

"I've sent him a couple of text messages, too."

"I think the whole system is screwed up right now," Donna responded, squeezing Lauren's arm. "But as soon as I talk to him, I'll call you. Will you do the same?"

"Of course. Thanks so much."

"If you need anything at all, call me," Donna instructed.

Lauren walked to the door and waved. "Thanks, Donna."

Donna felt sorry for Lauren, knowing what she must be going through. She'd lived here for just over two months and didn't really have any friends yet. She'd make it a point to invite Lauren and Sam to dinner once this thing was behind them.

"There you are," Lester said as he walked into the lobby. "The governor is doing a press conference in ten minutes."

"Good." Donna turned around and took a deep breath. She quickly went back into work mode. "Good. I'll tell Josh."

 

ACT THREE

INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, ROOM 401

For the benefit of the evacuees, Sam and Ainsley agreed to share a room on one condition: It had to have two beds. Sally Peyton provided them with a junior suite with two queens and a sofa.

It had been three hours since the volcano erupted, and neither Sam nor Ainsley had been able to make an outside call. They'd tried cell phones and land lines with no success. Sam even tried sending an e-mail from the business center, but it didn't go through.

"I'm sure Lauren's worried sick," he said, pacing in front of the TV in their room.

"Would you please stop moving so much? You're blocking the television," Ainsley replied.

He looked at her, then at the TV. "They're not reporting anything new."

Ainsley huffed. She walked to the window and watched the ash start to fall on the cars in the parking lot.

Sam came up behind her. "It almost looks like snow."

"As we told you in the 9 o'clock hour," the news reporter explained in the background, "the volcanic ash could easily get into the electrical systems, which will short-circuit the connection." The camera panned back, showing a gymnasium packed with evacuees. "I'm at Davis High School on Sixth Avenue here in Yakima, and this, I'm told, is one of the few places that still has power. There are already wide reports of outages throughout eastern Washington and northern Oregon. I'll turn it back to you in the studio, Henry."

"It's almost surreal," Ainsley whispered.

Sam rubbed her upper arm. "Yeah."

She covered his hand with hers. "I'm ready for this whole thing to be over."

"Me, too." He squeezed her arm.

Sam's ringing cell phone startled him. He bolted to the dresser on the far side of the room and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Thank God!" Lauren exclaimed. "I've been so worried."

"Lauren!"

Ainsley turned her back to their conversation and watched the ash fall to the ground.

CUT TO:

INT. WEST WING CORRIDOR, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

As Donna turned the corner toward Josh's office, she ran smack into Bram.

"Whoa!"

"Sorry about that. I was just..." Bram bent down to pick up the papers he'd dropped. "Damn it!" He put the tip of his thumb into his mouth. "Papercut. My second one tonight."

Donna placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "You should slow down."

He stood upright. "I can't. I was an hour late to this thing, and now I'm playing catch up."

"Walk with me." She led him down the corridor back to the Operations bullpen.

"I really need to get this report to Josh," he tried, still intermittently sucking on his cut thumb.

"He's still in with the President," Donna replied, taking a seat on the sofa that Sam had brought in last week. "Sit."

"Seriously, Donna, I'd love to chat but I've got a call sheet that's a million miles long, and I've made like four so far," Bram pleaded.

"It's ok to stop for a break every once in a while, you know." 

"Not according to Josh." The words slipped out of his mouth before he had time to process exactly who he was talking to. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's ok, Bram." Donna grinned. "You think I don't know how difficult he can be at times? I've lived with it for nearly a decade."

This made Bram smile. He finally took a seat next to Donna. "I've never seen someone work that hard in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard worker, but Josh, especially when we were campaigning, is like a machine."

"He does get into a zone sometimes," Donna replied with a fond sigh.

"Is that what you call it?"

Bram found it strange that Donna would be attracted to a man like Josh, but there was no denying the attraction. He wasn't one to observe the dynamics between couples; however, when it came to Josh and Donna, Bram could tell in an instant that there was something there. He enjoyed dating and being the young Lothario around town, but he ultimately wished that a woman would look at him the way Donna looked at Josh.

She put a hand on his arm and smiled. "Josh has high expectations for himself and for everyone around him. There's nothing he takes more seriously than serving the President."

"I take it seriously, too." Bram shrugged. "But I'm also trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to have a life outside of this place."

Donna flashed back to the conversations she and Josh had had over the past five months about what it meant to have a life.

"I know it's hard, Bram. Believe me I know." She put a hand on her chest. "There are going to be times like tonight when everything needs to be put on hold because of your job. You'll leave the building, shaking your head and wondering why on earth you chose this path."

Bram paid close attention.

"But it's worth it." Donna had a gleam in her eye. "The 16-hour days, the overnight trips, the State Dinners. It's all worth it in the end because ultimately, you're making this country a better place."

He nodded.

"I know you're in it for the long haul," she continued. "So it's important to stop every once in a while and, you know, breathe."

This earned Donna a full smile. "It's kind of weird, venting to my boss' girlfriend."

Donna blushed any time someone referred to her as Josh's girlfriend. This time was no different.

"I'd like to think I can separate myself from that role every once in a while." She smiled.

"I'll tell Josh you said so," Bram joked.

"You want both of us to be in the dog house?"

He grinned. "Seriously. Thanks, Donna."

"No problem." She stood and walked toward the door. "Now it's off to find your deranged, slightly neurotic boss."

Bram laughed, appreciating Donna's wisdom and fine sense of humor.

CUT TO:

INT. CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

When Donna finally made it to Josh's office, she was five minutes late for the governor's press conference.

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Is it on?"

Josh nodded and motioned for her to join him.

He was leaning against the desk, legs crossed at the ankles, eating the other half of the sandwich Donna had made for him that morning. 

"Want a bite?" he asked around a mouthful of turkey. He extended the sandwich to her.

"Is that leftover from lunch?" she asked.

Josh nodded.

"You just ate chili rellenos a few hours ago." Donna propped herself up on his desk, mirroring his position.

"I wasn't a fan." He swallowed, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "But don't tell Mrs. Santos."

She smiled. "I won't."

The television was positioned directly in front of them.

"The governor's press secretary is recounting the first few minutes of the eruption, then Governor Baldwin will speak," Josh said, throwing the heel of his sandwich into the garbage can.

They sat in silence as they watched the press secretary give details about the eruption.

"Dr. Kenzie, who will deliver his remarks after Governor Baldwin, reports that the pyroclastic flow could cover anywhere from 100 – 250 square miles," the press secretary said. "We have no way of knowing the amount of damage to people, homes, or businesses at this time."

The longer Josh listened, the more frustrated he became. He felt the strongest desire to tell the person he trusted most in the world about what happened earlier that day.

"I warned him," he said unable to hold it in any longer.

Donna turned toward him. "Warned who?"

"The President." He looked at his lap, then back up at her. "A scientist came here earlier today and told me about the possibility of Mount St. Helens erupting. I tried telling the President, but he wouldn't listen."

"I don't understand." Donna stared at him in disbelief. "Why wouldn't he listen to you?"

Josh shrugged. "Because the head of the USGS assured him there was nothing to worry about."

"But this guy, this scientist, had proof that the volcano was going to blow?"

He nodded. "There were a few other scientists who knew the eruption was imminent, but it wasn't enough to convince Lyle or President Santos."

Donna's face dropped.

"Lives may be lost tonight because the President didn't trust me." Josh swallowed a bitter taste in his mouth.

She tilted her head. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do, Josh. Don't doubt that."

He put his elbows on his knees. "Now I've got Lou breathing down my neck."

"Lou? Why?"

"She thinks I'm hiding something from her." He put his head in his hands.

Suddenly, it dawned on Donna. "Even though the President didn't trust you, you're protecting him," she said in a quiet voice.

Josh sat up slightly and looked her in the eyes. "There's more."

"What do you mean?"

"He called me a liar." His voice came out low and gravelly.

Donna raised her eyebrows and felt a wave of protectiveness rush over her.

"I didn't tell him that Toby'd sent Kaplan. The President did some digging. Found out that Hubert Kaplan and Toby's brother were roommates in college." He lowered his head. "He called it a lie of omission."

"Josh," she said in a whisper.

He put his elbows on his knees again and stared at a seam in the carpet. "I thought he was going to fire me on the spot."

Donna was glad that Josh wasn't looking at her face because she imagined it looked like she'd just been slapped. Her cheeks were red and her mouth hung open. She felt tears stinging her eyes, but she dared not blink. She couldn't have been more affected by this news than if it'd happened to her.

"It felt like everything I'd worked so hard for was getting flushed down a drain," he said in a low voice. "The President was this close to firing me."

"He wouldn't do that, Josh." She quickly recovered. "He wouldn't fire you for talking to Toby."

Josh slowly sat up. "He came pretty damn close."

Donna noticed the redness in his eyes and wondered if it was from exhaustion, stress, or holding back tears. It had to be a combination of the first two, she decided. Josh wouldn't cry over something like this. He'd be angry or even hurt, but he wouldn't cry.

She shook her head. "Why are you still protecting him?"

He clenched his jaw. "Because he's the President of the United States."

Leave it to Josh to protect the office, not necessarily the man.

"One of the things I love about you is your loyalty, but it can get you into trouble sometimes. Huge trouble," she said.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

Donna rubbed circles on his back. "Trust your instincts."

"How do I get *him* to trust my instincts?" Josh asked.

"I think you might've just earned his trust without having to say a word."

Josh opened his arms. Donna slowly moved in front of him and put a hand on his cheek. She rested her forehead against his as he let out a long sigh.

"He'll come around, honey," she whispered.

It was rare for either of them to use terms of endearment for each other, but when it happened, it always made them smile.

"Honey?" Josh asked, signs of a smirk forming.

"I was going for sweet," Donna admitted.

He put both hands on her face and pulled back. "You succeeded."

They shared a long but chaste kiss, then Donna sat with her back on Josh's chest as his arms encircled her waist.

They watched the rest of the press conference, until a knock on the door startled them.

"Yeah?" Josh asked.

Margaret poked her head in. "Sam's on line one."

Donna hopped up from her position in Josh's lap, and he turned around to pick up the phone.

"Sam?"

"Josh!" He sounded relieved. "I've been trying to call you all night."

"So have we! Hang on. I'm going to have Donna put us on speaker phone."

"Don't hang up on me," Sam pleaded.

"That's why I'm going to have Donna do it, buddy." Josh grinned.

She rolled her eyes and hit a few buttons on the phone. "Sam?"

"Hi, Donna." Sam's voice sounded so close.

"We've all been worried about you." She raised her hand to her chest.

"We're doing ok," he responded with a little trepidation in his voice. "The ash is falling pretty steadily, but we're safe at the hotel."

"I'm so glad," Donna said, moving next to Josh.

"Were you on the ground when it erupted?" Josh asked.

"We were in a cab. There was an earthquake about ten minutes before we arrived at the hotel," Sam began. "By the time we made it into the lobby, there was already a live feed on TV."

"Wow," Josh said under his breath.

"How's Ainsley?" Donna asked.

"Hanging in there." He sighed. "She was a little freaked out at first, but I think she's calmed down in the last hour." Donna pictured him rubbing his neck.

There was a long pause, and then Sam spoke. "We're sharing a room."

Josh and Donna looked at each other with nothing less than shock registering on their faces.

"You're sharing a room with Ainsley?" Josh asked in a high-pitched voice.

"The hotel manager asked us if we'd be willing to bunk in order to accommodate the evacuees." Sam sounded convinced. "I didn't tell Lauren."

"Have you spoken to Lauren?" Donna asked before Josh had an opportunity to enquire about Sam's sleeping arrangements.

"Yeah. I just got off the phone with her a few minutes ago. I'd been trying to get a hold of her just as often as I was trying to call you guys."

"She came to the White House earlier," Donna admitted.

"Really?" Josh and Sam asked simultaneously.

Donna nodded. "She'd left a couple of messages for me at work, but I hadn't been back to my office, so she came here. She was incredibly worried, Sam. I told her that I was certain you were ok."

"Thank you." Sam sounded a little relieved and more than a little concerned. He didn't expect his fiancée to show up at the White House.

"Is there anything we can do on this end?" Josh asked, pulling Donna to him.

"I don't think so," Sam said. "I doubt we'll have our meeting with the Superfund clean-up lawyers tomorrow."

"No kidding." Josh laughed. "You can reschedule it." 

"Honestly? I don't know if I want to be in the Pacific Northwest any longer than necessary."

"I don't blame you, Sam." Donna squeezed Josh's hand.

"Stay in touch as often as you can," Josh said.

"I will. And Donna? Thanks for taking care of Lauren."

"No problem." She smiled.

"It's probably best not to mention my sleeping arrangements," Sam said in a low voice. "I'll talk to her about it when I get back."

"Ok," Donna replied. "Stay safe, Sam."

"Bye."

Josh spun Donna around and held her in his arms. "I'm glad he's alright," he said into her hair.

She buried her head in the crook of his neck. "Me, too."

CUT TO:

INT. OVAL OFFICE

Matt Santos was reading the latest report from the CVO when his wife slipped in.

"How are you?"

He rolled his head back-and-forth, making the tendons pop. "Tired."

She kissed her husband, then stood in front of his desk. "Any word on casualties yet?"

"We should know something soon. It looks like the volcanic activity has subsided."

"I heard. What's it been, five hours?"

"Almost six." He rubbed his eyes. "You shouldn't be awake right now."

"I have trouble sleeping when you're not next to me," she confessed.

He let out a soft chuckle.

"What would you say if I told you there's a chance I could've prevented all of this?"

"I'd call you a liar," Helen said with a kind-hearted laugh. "You are a powerful man, but you can't stop Mother Nature."

"Josh brought this guy, this scientist, in earlier today. I guess it's yesterday now." Santos stood and began pacing behind his desk. "He said he had undeniable proof that Mount St. Helens would erupt within 72 hours."

Helen looked surprised.

"I didn't believe him." The President stopped pacing.

She creased her brow. "Why not?"

He shrugged. "I figured if there was really a chance of Mount St. Helens erupting, I would've had a barrage of urgent calls from the USGS and volcano experts from across the country."

"I don't think that's unreasonable."

Santos poured a glass of water. With his back to his wife, he continued. "This scientist, this man who Josh met with this morning was Toby Ziegler's friend."

Helen raised her eyebrows but didn't respond. She knew when her husband wanted to get something off of his chest, it was best to just let him talk. When he'd start shaking his leg, that's when she should jump in.

"Turns out Dr. Hubert Kaplan was Toby's brother's roommate in college." He spun around and drank a long sip of water. "Josh felt it unnecessary to share that little detail with me."

Helen perched on the arm of a wing back chair.

"I told him I needed a Chief of Staff who I could trust." The President bounced his leg.

"You don't trust Josh?" she asked after noticing the signal.

"I don't trust Toby Ziegler," he responded.

"And when you found out Toby was involved in this plot to save people from an imminent volcanic eruption, you automatically discounted the scientist, and by extension, Josh," the First Lady stated rather than asked.

"Toby shared classified information with a reporter, Helen! I'll tell you like I told Josh: the man is radioactive. I don't want this administration within 500 miles of him." He drained the glass of water and set it down it on his desk with a bang.

Helen thought for a moment he might've broken the glass.

"But this scientist was right? I mean, he was the one who told Josh that Mount St. Helens would erupt sooner rather than later?" She stood.

Santos nodded.

"I understand why you're upset," she began. "But it wasn't Toby who provided the information about the volcano. It was an experienced scientist who happened to know Toby Ziegler. And you're punishing Josh for that."

"I'm not punishing Josh."

"You are." She tilted her head. "I've never seen anyone take his job more seriously than Josh." She put a hand on his arm. "He advised President Bartlet for seven years, and he learned how to do it from Leo McGarry. Oftentimes he's hot-headed and egotistical and maybe even unconventional, but I don't believe he would purposely do anything to betray your trust."

"I know." Santos covered her hand with his. "It just hit me pretty hard when I found out that Toby was connected to all of this."

Helen linked their fingers together. "You should tell Josh how you feel after everything settles down."

"I already told him."

"Judging from the two of you at dinner earlier, it didn't come out as civilized as it could have," Helen said.

Santos finally cracked a small smile. "No, it didn't."

She looked up at him. "Do you trust your Chief of Staff, Matt?"

He gave her a slight nod.

"Then you should apologize."

Off his 'don't be ridiculous' look, she amended her statement. "At least let him know you trust him. Let him know you value his opinion."

The President nodded, but he wasn't sure how willing he was to tell Josh he'd made a mistake. He'd worked on 'being presidential' since the middle of the campaign, and for some reason, making mistakes didn't fall into Santos' idea of what being presidential was all about.

"I'm going back to bed," his wife announced. "Think about what I said."

He kissed her on the lips. "I will."

FADE TO BLACK

ACT FOUR

INT. CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE

Lou dropped a booklet on Josh's desk, then folded her arms.

He looked up. "What's this?"

"San Andreo," she replied.

"The nuclear plant in California?" Josh looked confused. "What the hell does that have to do with the volcano?"

She jutted her head toward the booklet. "It was written by a Cornell University political science professor on how the San Andreo incident cost Arnie Vinick the election."

"I'm sure it's an interesting read, Lou, but I don't have time for it at the moment." He buried his head back in the latest FAA report.

"Oh, I think you do." She sat in the visitor's chair and crossed her legs. "Because unless you want to tell me what's going on, we're working for a one-term president."

That got his attention.

"The reason Vinick lost isn't because he supported nuclear power," Lou began. "It isn't even because of the accident at the plant. Vinick lost because he didn't level with the media about his involvement in San Andreo in a timely manner."

"What are you saying? That we're sitting on a nuclear power plant right now?" Josh laughed incredulously.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." She nodded. "If you and/or the President were warned about this and you chose not to alert the public, we have a PR battle ahead of us." Lou tilted her head. "If you admit it to the press now, we can control and spin it the way we see fit."

She lowered her voice and leaned forward. "If you sit on this for another 24 hours, your job will be handed to you on a Triscuit, and the President just lost re-election before he even got through his first 100 days. I don't know about you, but I was just getting warmed up."

Lou was right. This was it; he had to level with her.

Josh clenched his jaw. "At 10 o'clock this morning, a USGS scientist came to me about the possibility of Mount St. Helens erupting within the next 72 hours," Josh began. "He had charts and graphs and reliable research, including the March 11 report from the CVO."

Lou sat back.

"Toby sent him." He adjusted the knot in his tie.

She raised her eyebrows. "Toby Ziegler?"

"Yeah." Josh nodded. "Hubert Kaplan was his brother's roommate. I figured he could either vouch for this guy or tell me he was a raging lunatic."

"And?" Lou prodded.

"He said I should trust him," Josh said. "So I brought it to the President twice. Both times, he brushed it off. He claimed that if this was a real threat, he'd have experts beating down his door."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" she asked.

"I didn't want...I can't let the President take the fall for this," he replied sheepishly.

Lou sighed. "We can handle this, Josh."

He tightened his jaw. "If the USGS tells the media that they warned us..."

"I don't think they will," Lou interrupted. "You heard those guys in the Oval. You've got Lyle Edmonds, the director of the USGS, claiming he sent a scientist here to warn the President, and then you have the scientist saying Edmonds did everything in his power *not* to allow him to come here."

Josh relaxed just a bit.

"I'm going to get in touch with Hubert Kaplan and get his story on record just as a safety net." She stood.

He breathed easy for the first time since Lou stepped into the room.

"If something like this happens again, Josh, you need to fill me in immediately." Lou looked him in the eye. "We can walk through it together."

"Yeah."

She looked at him over the thick rim of her glasses. "I'm serious."

He nodded. "I know."

"Ok, then." Lou gave him a tight lipped smile, "I'll see you in a few."

CUT TO:

INT. MARCUS WHITMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, ROOM 401

After telling Sam that the fallen ash made her feel dirty, Ainsley decided to take a hot shower. Sam took the opportunity to call Josh. 

It took only three tries to get through to his cell.

"Hey," Josh answered. "How's it going?"

"Any reports on the devastation yet?" Sam asked without pretense.

"A USGS surveillance team was deployed by air about 20 minutes ago," Josh said. "FEMA and the Red Cross are on the ground. We should get an initial report within the hour."

"That's good," Sam replied. "Did you see the eyewitness account?"

"The college kids in the Cessna?" Josh asked with a chuckle. "Boy, are they stupid."

"And, I would imagine, in a lot of trouble."

"I'll say."

"The video footage was good." Sam quickly amended his statement. "I don't mean 'good' good. I just meant..."

"I know what you meant." Josh smiled. "So, you're doing ok?"

Josh knew by the line of questioning and the small talk that something was on Sam's mind.

"I'm trying." Sam sighed.

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's..." Sam took a deep breath. "Ainsley's in the shower."

Sam could picture the smirk forming on his friend's face.

"You're not in there with her, right?"

"Josh!" Sam chastised. "It's just a fairly uncomfortable situation."

Josh tried to hide the amusement in his voice. "I don't envy you, buddy."

"I don't know why I agreed to this sharing a room thing," Sam confessed. "I really wish I hadn't."

"Yeah, that probably wasn't your best move, even if it was to make room at the inn."

"Thanks for your support." Sam put a hand on his hip. "Anyway, I should go. Call me when you get the report."

"Will do," Josh said. "Hang in there."

Sam disconnected the call and lolled his head back. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before deciding to call Lauren. As he dialed her number, the lights in the room flickered a few times.

"Sam!" Ainsley yelled from the bathroom. "Are you toying with me?"

"I swear, I'm not."

The lights flickered a couple more times, then the room plunged into darkness.

"Samuel Norman Seaborn, if this is your idea of some sort of twisted game, I do not want to play along."

He felt his way toward the window and opened the curtains. There was one emergency light on in the parking lot. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he walked toward the door. Upon opening it, Sam saw emergency lights near the fire extinguisher and the stairwell.

He walked back into the room. "The power's out."

"I am in pitch blackness!" she yelled.

Sam moved toward the bathroom. "Can you grab a towel?"

"I don't even know which direction I'm facing, much less where the towels are located."

Sam put his hands in front of him, feeling for the bathroom door. "I'm going to open the door."

"Ok."

"Can you see anything?" he asked.

"Can you?"

"Fair point." Sam realized he had his cell phone in his hand. "I have a light!"

"Turn it on," Ainsley pleaded.

Sam pressed a button. "Does that help?"

"What in the hell kind of light are you shining?"

"It's my cell phone," Sam replied.

"That thing is about as bright as the South Star."

"I didn't know there was a South Star."

"That's because it's too dim to see from Earth!"

"Oh." He scratched his head.

"It's freezing and it's dark, Sam. Please help me get out of here." She shivered.

"I can't see well enough to make it to the tub," he said in a voice laced with concern. "Can't you just step out?" 

"The way things are going today, I wouldn't be surprised if I fell and broke something."

"Ok, I'll be right back."

He walked tentatively into the bedroom and searched for some kind of light. "Didn't Sally Peyton say there's a generator?"

"Yes," Ainsley replied, "but I'm not waiting in the shower, dripping wet and naked for it to come on."

Sam gulped and lost his concentration for a moment.

"Ah ha! I think I've got it." He proceeded back into the bathroom with his bright idea. "How's this?"

"I can sense the light," she said.

Although he didn't want to, Sam looked straight ahead at the shower, expecting to see a very naked, blonde Republican. "Um, Ainsley?"

"Yes?"

"It might not be so dark if you opened the shower curtain."

"I didn't want you to see me," she replied bashfully.

"Yet you expected me to provide some sort of light."

Ainsley sighed. "Will you just hand me a towel, Sam?"

He noticed the stack of towels on the rack above the toilet and pulled one down. "Here."

She blindly reached for it around the curtain. "Thank you."

When Ainsley had the towel securely wrapped around her, she opened the shower curtain fully to see Sam standing there with his laptop open and facing her.

"Tell me you don't want to work in here."

Sam let out a full-blown laugh, and Ainsley couldn't help but to laugh with him.

"Let's get you out of here."

CUT TO:

INT. OVAL OFFICE

Josh sat on the sofa with his head in his hands. He'd been awake, like the rest of them, for nearly 24 hours. Bram seemed to be the only one who didn't appear tired. Josh wondered if he was afraid to show any signs of weakness after arriving late to the crisis. Lou, for her part, was hanging in there because of a 20-minute power nap some time around one. And the President had bags under his eyes similar to the days leading up to the election.

"They're ready for you, sir," Ronna called through the intercom.

"Ok, put the call through."

"Good evening, Mr. President," a man said through the speaker. "I'm Tony La Rocca, the director of the ECC. I'm joined by two USGS scientists, Caleb Holton and Nick Breaux, and the head of the FEMA Status One emergency team, Doris Dunford."

"Thank you for talking to us at this late hour," Santos replied. "How does it look out there?"

"I have two reports, sir," Tony began. "One is from the air surveillance team, and the other is from the emergency ground response team. Let me first state that these are initial reports, Mr. President. The final reports won't be complete for another couple of hours."

"I understand."

"We'll start with the FEMA Status One team, which was led by Doris. They were able to venture into the seared zone tonight, and we're hoping they can make it into the channelized blast zone tomorrow."

"How many zones are there?" Lou asked.

"Three," Tony replied. "The 'seared zone' is the outermost fringe of the impacted area. The 'channelized blast zone' is the intermediate area that could extend up to 20 miles away from the volcano. The flow in this area flattened everything in its path, so it's still extremely dangerous. And the last one is the 'direct blast zone.' It's typically no more than eight miles wide at the base of the volcano. Everything, natural or manmade, was obliterated or carried away by the lahars. It'll be at least a couple of days before we're able to send a team there."

Everyone in the room looked uneasy.

"Ok," Santos said. "So the Status One team made it into the outermost zone?"

"That's correct, Mr. President. I'm going to turn things over to Doris."

"Good evening, sir," Doris began. "Before my emergency team was deployed, we had to get official word from the USGS that the eruption had subsided. At that time, I led a team of eight medically trained emergency personnel into the seared zone at approximately 12:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Our goal was to find injured or trapped civilians and to provide treatment."

"Go on."

"Because of the instability of the volcano, the USGS gave us a one-hour window in which to triage the area. We found two individuals alive in an SUV. They were experiencing respiratory problems, and

one was nearly unconscious. Two of our doctors treated them in our medic van while the rest of us continued to search."

"How are they?" the President asked.

"They were brought to the Clark County Medical Center by MedEvac in critical condition."

Santos looked at Josh who visibly tensed. Lou let out a long breath.

"We also found three civilians who perished due to asphyxiation," Doris said in an almost reverent voice.

Josh's head fall back and he ran his hands over his face.

"Any other casualties or injuries?" Santos tried to concentrate on the facts.

"No, sir. We covered six square miles in an hour, so there's still a lot of ground to explore."

"Thank you, Doris." Santos sat back in his chair. "When will another team be deployed?"

"We're hoping to get out there every other hour until daylight. At that time, the USGS should be able to clear a much more extensive rescue and recover effort."

"Let's hope so," Lou commented.

"Caleb Holton and Nick Breaux were in the first USGS surveillance plane that flew into the seared and channelized blast zones," Tony said.

"What's the damage, gentlemen?"

"It's extensive, sir," one of the men replied. "But it doesn't appear to be as bad as the 1980 eruption."

This didn't ease Josh's nerves. He stood and began pacing behind the sofa.

"Keep in mind we weren't able to get into the direct blast zone, and we had to stay mostly South and West of the volcano due to wind patterns and ash," Nick Breaux reported.

"We'll start with the mudflows, or lahars," Caleb said. "It appears that the most destructive lahars occurred in the North Fork of the Toutle River. They also swept down the southeast flank of the volcano along Swift Creek, Pine Creek, and Muddy River."

"What about the Reservoir?" the President asked.

"That's the good news," Caleb said. "The Swift Reservoir was able to save the valley from flooding because the Army Corps of Engineers lowered the water level a couple of weeks ago."

Josh bit down hard on his back teeth and nodded. It was the first piece of good news they'd gotten all night.

"However, the Spirit Lake vicinity didn't fare well. From our vantage point, it appeared that everything within a 10-mile radius of the lake was wiped out."

The President lowered his head. "Is that a heavily populated area?"

"No, sir," Nick responded. "There are two campgrounds near Spirit Lake, but because of the time of year, not many campers venture into the area."

"That's a relief," Santos said. "What else?"

"The two counties most affected by the blast were Cowlitz and Skamania, but the damage appears to be sustainable 30 miles outside of the volcanic ring, meaning parts of those counties were affected but not destroyed."

Josh cracked his neck from side to side, then sat back down.

"How does the forest look?" Santos asked distracted a bit by Josh's constant movement.

"As expected, there are thousands of acres of charred or destroyed forests extending from Cowlitz to Yakima County," Caleb began. "And there are several roads covered with debris. Interstate-90 was heavily damaged and State Route 12 and Highway 7 were extensively damaged."

"What about I-5?" Josh asked, fidgeting in his seat.

"It remains closed from Vancouver, Washington, to Tacoma, but during our fly-over, there didn't appear to be any major damage," Nick said. "There's about a 20-mile stretch that's covered in thick ash, but that's all we noticed."

Santos didn't want to ask the next question, but he needed the details. "Can you give us an estimate as to how many homes and businesses were destroyed?"

"Not an accurate one, sir," Caleb reported. "We probably saw 75 to 100, but that's preliminary."

"What was your altitude?" the President asked.

"We hovered around 6,500 feet. In a couple of places, we dipped to 5,500."

He nodded. "Ok. When are you guys headed back up?"

"There will be another surveillance team deployed at first light, Mr. President," Tony La Rocca said. "Until then, we'll have these reports typed up and sent to you within the next couple of hours."

"Thank you, Tony. Thank you all."

"Yes, sir."

They disconnected the call and everyone looked a little relieved to have more information, yet a little disturbed with the results.

Santos rubbed his eyes. "I don't want casualty numbers released until we get an official report."

"When should we brief?" Lou asked.

"Let's see what comes in before nine. If we have definitive numbers, we'll do it then."

"I think that's a mistake, sir," Lou said, lifting her chin a little higher. "We don't have to mention casualties, but we need to let the public know that we're responding to the emergency. We can highlight the rescue operations and tell them that we have hundreds of trained medical personnel who'll be working around the clock."

"You want to brief the press at 4 a.m.?" Santos asked.

"No, sir," she responded. "We should do it first thing in the morning. Seven o'clock."

The President turned his head to the left. "Josh?"

He nodded. "She's right."

"Ok, then. It's been a long night." Santos stood. "I think it's time for everyone to go home and get some sleep. There's nothing more we can do right now."

Everyone stood, thanking the President and wishing him a good night.

"Josh?" he called.

He paused in front of the door leading to his office. "Yes, sir?"

"About earlier..." He took a step closer to his Chief of Staff. "I came down on you pretty hard."

Josh gulped. He kept his eyes trained on the President.

"I don't think there will ever be a time when I trust Toby Ziegler," Santos began. "But I do trust you."

Josh stood a little taller.

"I can't imagine anyone serving as my Chief of Staff more effectively than you." The President looked him square in the eye. "I wanted you to know that."

"Thank you, sir." He gave him a tight lipped smile.

Santos walked behind his desk and picked up his suit jacket. "It's late. You should go home."

"Yes, sir." Josh walked through the connecting door and closed it. He leaned against it, and sighed.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSH AND DONNA'S APARTMENT

They'd discussed the meeting with the emergency team and USGS scientists on the way home, but Donna didn't want to talk about the volcano when they stepped in the door.

She removed her coat and threw her purse on the desk. Josh took off his coat, tie and shoes on his way to the sofa. He plopped down with his feet on the coffee table and his head rolled back.

"C'mon," Donna said, removing her earrings. "Let's go to bed."

He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "I could fall asleep right here."

"Ok."

She slid off her heels, then unbuttoned her blouse. By the time Josh opened his eyes, he could see her lacey black bra peeking through the gap in her shirt. Donna walked into the bedroom, leaving Josh already semi-hard on the sofa. It didn't take much.

He followed her into the bedroom, removing his own shirt along the way. "That was a trick, wasn't it?"

"No." She grinned, shimmying out of her skirt and pantyhose. "You can sleep on the couch if you want."

"I couldn't sleep out there, knowing you were in here half naked." He smirked.

She removed her bra followed by her underwear. "What about fully naked?"

This earned her a full-dimpled smile. "Definitely not."

Josh crawled on top of her with his pants still on but undone. Donna helped him remove them.

They made out like teenagers in the back seat of a car until Josh nearly drifted off to sleep.

"Josh?" Donna whispered.

"Hmm?" He nuzzled her neck with his nose.

"You did good today."

"You, too, Donnatella." He squeezed her. "You, too."

 

FADE TO BLACK


End file.
